14 Jun 2016
Dyason Fellowship awarded to Dr Dustin Flanagan
University of Melbourne post-doctoral researcher, Dr Dustin Flanagan has been awarded a prestigious University of Melbourne Dyason Fellowship which he will use visiting the world-renowned Clevers Laboratory at the Hubrecht Institute in the Netherlands.
Dr Flanagan works with Professor Elizabeth Vincan at the Doherty Institute specialising in tumour organoid technology.
He will get gain hands-on experience in Professor Hans Clevers’ living organoid tissue bank, the first in the world.
The Clevers laboratory conducts ground-breaking research in tumour organoid technology which enables mini-tumour organoids to be grown from patients’ tumour tissues and tested for their sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs. This will provide cancer patients with pre-tested, personalised tailored therapies.
The knowledge gained during this visit will be invaluable to establishing Australia’s first patient derived organoid bank at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), a collaborative research venture involving WEHI, the University of Melbourne, VCCC, and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The Dyason Fellowship offers early-career researchers the opportunity to develop their research ideas by undertaking or hosting a short-term international visit that strengthens collaborations and networks with leading international researchers.
The fellowship is named after Edward Dyason, a Melbourne philanthropist and engineer who, in 1947, bequeathed the university half of his residuary estate for the advancement of education.
Awards are announced in March and August and University of Melbourne Academic Staff Level 6 and above, researchers are eligible to apply. Applications are currently open for the August awards, information about the Fellowship can be obtained from the Dyason Fellowship website.